


A Walk In Shadows

by Lizzie Annee (CaptainRaydorxxx)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, I'm desperate okay, let a girl dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-06 15:17:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18853690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainRaydorxxx/pseuds/Lizzie%20Annee
Summary: The Lannisters could trace their heritage as vampire hunters as far back as the reign of the first dragon queen and the mere mention of their family name  had brought many a beast and creature of the night to its knees.At least that was until whispers of a new vampire wove their way through the shadows of Westeros - a vampire who in reality was not so new (the stories led  a person to believe it could be anywhere between 100 years old and 1000 years old) but had finally decided to cross the dark sea and out of the Stormlands and bring their bloody reign to an end.





	1. Divine

**Author's Note:**

> Okay - lets be honest, 8x05 has massively fucked me up and I now refuse to acknolowdge its existence and from here on will live in my own happy little #braime universe. This is my first story in this fandom and I can only hope I do justice to the characters and for every other fangirl like me who had their heartbroken. 
> 
> (Plus I have always kind of wanted to picture Brienne as a vampire - sue me).

Jaime had always wondered what his life would be like if he had been born into another family.

He could have been a baker, selling home made bread for a dragon under the Tarly family. 

He could have been engineer, building bridges and roads under the Bolton family. 

He could have been a lawyer, protecting and serving the people of Westeros under the Stark family. 

That was not the case. 

He had been born a Lannister, complete with golden hair that always seemed to shine in the right light and eyes so green they looked like polished gem stones. He knew he was blessed in the fact that he had taken his mothers looks along with his father's height and build allowing him to stand proudly at a solid 6" 2, allowing him to tower over most men. It didn't hurt that his family heritage had also gifted him with the senses and reflexes of something almost unholy - which only seemed fitting given what their family was sworn to do. 

For as long as he could remember his parents had made it perfectly clear that Jaime would only ever be allowed to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, his schooling being focused on otherwise unseemly and unnatural topics. He didn't begrudge his duty much to the chagrin of his twin. Cersei had made it perfectly clear that she didn't understand his devotion their sworn duty and had made it her life's work to destroy their legacy with every scandal and lie she could possibly create. Though similarly blessed with the same looks as her brother Cersei had never been given the honour of taking up the family mantle as the gifts of the Lannisters were only passed down once a generation and although their mother had held the honour of Divine Hunter, the gods had decided that her brother would follow next. 

Once it had become clear that Jaime would not follow her away from the family Cersei had taken it upon herself to find a home as far away from the legacy that would forever follow her name. Jaime had accepted long ago that he would not get to be a twin to his sister for ever and hadn't been as distraught as she had been on the evening she had left, her perfume hanging in the air behind her. 

By the time he had reached his 20th year Jaime had been declared Divine Hunter by his clan - the honour being bestowed by the gods only on the hunter who showed the most loyal devotion. He had taken the mantle from his mother had stepped aside with grace, there being no shame in allowing the duty of leading the clan to be passed on to another. 

But despite all this, there had been moments through out his life where Jaime had taken a breath and in his head had seen visions of different lives, all with his face. He had never told anyone about these feelings as he knew that it would do nothing but throw doubt on his devotion and as the heir to his family and the leader of his clan he knew that he had to be absolute. 

He had spent his entire life training to fight vampires and there could be no doubt in his devotion to that cause. Everybody, every soul in Westeros knew the danger posed to them from the other worldly beings. He had grown up on the stories of dark entities that had entered their realm during a moment of their gods weakness and had laid their curse upon a single soul. It was said that the individual who had taken the dark kiss from these things had quickly changed, their being shifting into something dark and crueller as it no longer had regard for the beings around it. 

Jaime had been fascinated by the stories of the Targaryen's. The first vampire taking the name Daemon Targaryen and spreading his curse through his demons bite. It was said that with each new bite, the newly cursed soul would die, only to shortly be reborn with hair as white as snow and eyes that glowed violet. No known historian had even been able to fully keep track of the sordid family tree as when one got to close they would vanish into the night, their works lying unfinished until another took their place. 

With the year of his 40th name day arriving Jaime had found himself settling into a rather monotonous life which he could never have imagined being the case. His family had expanded with the birth of his brothers children, the youngest daughter Myrcella taking up the reins of hunter, her older brothers leading lives away from the clan with their aunt. Myrcella had excelled under her uncles leadership, her skills rivalling only him. 

It was days like today when his thoughts grew wistful and the visions that he had always done his best to bury filled his mind of other lives and destinies that would never be. The clan was preparing for a celebration in honour of his name day along with the realisation that they had finally freed their lands from the oppression of the vampire darkness as only a few days previously the last known remaining vampire had been hunted and destroyed by his niece and her hunting party. The young hunter had returned from the two month long expedition along with her partners Asha and Margaery with a silk lined box that carried the head of Selwyn Tarth. It had been a campaign Jaime had been pushing for years but had been fought back by the clan council who for some unknown reason had argued that the old man was no threat. 

It was only know that Selwyn Tarth had been living in the Stormlands for as long as anyone living could remember and the only records with a mention of a vampire with the same name dated back 1000 years. There had never been any interaction between the solitary being and the Kings Landing based clan bar a few clashes between their forces in land skirmishes. Despite that Jaime had always a small amount of respect for the man and couldn't find it within himself to celebrate with his clan. He allowed for the plans of his name day to go ahead as he knew that his niece would accept nothing else especially as she believed that by presenting him with the sordid gift she was solving all his problems. 

Jaime had had no words for his niece when she had arrived in his office, Asha and Margaery positioned outside the door as she had entered, the box under her arm. He had opened his vault and placed it within, the box settling next to it's neighbours. He had pulled her into his arms tightly and walked them out of the vault, the door swinging shut behind them silently. 

"There are no words for how proud I am you Myrcella" he had expressed, no matter his feelings for the gentleman whose head now rested in his vault, he couldn't help but be proud of her. She smiled her fathers smile, a corner of her mouth quirking at the corner as her green eyes sparkled. 

"I know this is not what you wanted - no let me finish" she waved her hand as Jaime went to interrupt. 

"I know you had respect for the man but with his death his forces had fallen, every vampire he had sired dead along with their master - we no longer have anything to fear" she explained as they each took a seat in the corner of his office, the fireplace providing ample light. 

"He died honourably uncle, that I can promise you - I would not have allowed for anything else"

Jaime tipped his head at the comment. 

"Despite what the council believe not all vampires are mindless, blood obsessed beasts - Selwyn was a gentleman and that leader of his house despite the curse" Jaime said. His left hand gently rubbing over the scar the ended on his right wrist where his hand should have been.

"Not enough of a gentleman to leave you your hand" she laughed, her sparkling eyes not missing the subtle movement. 

"I had just taken his oldest sons head off with my great sword - I was lucky" 

"You never did tell me what happened on that day, not only did you slay Galladon Tarth - Selwyn's oldest child - but you destroyed Evenstar Hall" Myrcella asked, her elbows coming forward to rest on her knees. 

"It is not one of my proudest moments my dear, Galladon had been on a hunt for several months and we had already lost 3 hunters to him - Selwyn refused to believe that his son was out of control so the council agreed that action was to be taken" Jaime sighed, the memories of that day forever burned into his mind, the screams of the youngest Tarth children echoing as Jaime and his second in command Addam has slain their older brother and set fire to their ancestral home. 

"The council would accept nothing else - Selwyn was to lose his children just as the families of Galladon's victims had"

"Why did they not insist on his death as well?"

"They did not believe he was a risk without his children - Galladon had lead his forces and without him they had fallen in shambles, barely held together groups of rebels that would occasionally answer the call of their master" he explained, the light form the fire place throwing shadows across his face, the sharp lines of his jaw and smoothness of his brow hiding his age well. 

"But didn't he have another daughter - I remember someone telling me a story of a woman warrior from Tarth of his blood line" 

Jaime laughed.

"For as long as there have been stories of Selwyn and the House Tarth, there have also been stories of the long lost older daughter - a woman supposedly so tall and strong that even without the powers gifted to her from her curse she could destroy any man who crossed her path. It is said that Selwyn is one of the first offspring of Daemon Targaryen and that this woman was the first being that Selwyn himself turned. She had been a warrior in the dragon queen Visenya's army, if the stories are accurate she had been her queens hand, and had served her faithfully, her golden sword cutting down any enemy who approached, until she had fallen in battle, stabbed in the back by Visenya's own daughter who was jealous of the bond between the queen and her warrior maid. Selwyn is said to have walked the desolate battlefield, long after the killing had ended and the defeated queen had disappeared with her wounded dragon never to be seen again, and had come across the barely alive warrior, her black cloak wrapped around her still form. He had sat with her, the warriors head resting in his lap as he watched her sharp breaths become slower and slower. Knowing he little time to make a decision he had leant down until he was cheek to cheek with the woman in his arms, the cropped blond hair stained red, the strands sticking to her face. He is said to have whispered one question in her ear and although no one can truthfully tell us what it is he said, what ever strangled answer the warrior could give him was enough for him to lean back down and bestow his cursed kiss upon her throat."

Myrcella let out a breath that she hadn't realised she was holding. 

"Well ... don't stop know uncle, what happened ?" Jaime laughed at the frustrated tone of his niece as she leant even closer, the thirst in her eyes all the motivation he needed to continue his story.

"Two days it is said that Selwyn sat there on the battlefield with the no longer breathing warrior resting in his lap, his eyes closed as he muttered nonsense prayers to whatever gods he felt the need to honour in that moment. On the break of the sun on the third day he opened his eyes and took in the sight before him, violet eyes staring back into his with a fury like he had never seen before and hair so white it almost pained him. He had risen pulling the warrior up with him until she towered over him, her hair shining in the early light and her cloak billowing from her shoulders. The stories go onto say that the warrior had taken a knee in front of Selwyn and had sworn an oath to serve him for as long as she remained alive, that she would guard and protect him for giving her a second life when the gods had seen fit to allow her passage to the other side. Selwyn then lifted her chin with his hand and forced her to stand once again looking down on him and had told her that she owed him no such debt and that he had always hoped for a daughter and strong and loyal as she. From that day on Selwyn is never seen without his new daughter, always on his right side, with her golden sword in hand ready to cut down any person who threatened him. That was until whispers arrived and filtered down to the Stormlands where Selwyn had built his home that dragons had been seen in the North - with a woman long thought dead riding the biggest. Selwyn had given his daughter his leave to go and search for her lost queen - the warrior desperate to bring her queen home. That its. No more is know of the warrior daughter of Selwyn Tarth - the warrior carrying a sword of gold. The only other proof of her existence is a piece of paper addressed to Selwyn from a woman called Brienne - a piece of paper informing him that she had arrived in the north." 

"There really isn't any other proof of her existence?" Mrycella whispered, her eyes watching her uncle as he gazed into the fire. 

"Selwyn has never spoken of her - and there were only ever whispers of dragon slaying warrior who disappeared in the North after the 100 year winter - and it is not know if any of his other children were aware of her existence." Jaime stood from his chair, no longer interested in stories. 

"Let's just be glad that she doesn't exist then - I'm pretty sure finding out that we had cut off her father's head would put a potentially thousand year old vampire in a very bad mood" she laughed, standing herself as Jaime moved to the office door to show her out. 

"Your humour as ever Mrycella is mind-blowing"

"Will we see you for evening meal uncle ?"

"We'll see"

And with that Jaime had drifted back into his office and sat behind his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a leather bound book - the type of book that sat on a shelf for hundreds of year and lived to gather dust. He released the clasp and slowly opened the pages until he found what he was looking for. With the now open pages rested two pieces of worn paper, one a letter penned in Selwyn's hand, with clearly legible instructions on it to be burnt once read by the recipient and the other a photo - an old photo if the quality of the shot was anything to go by. On the photo was the image of an imposing woman, her white hair swept behind her in a tight braid and a gold sword attached to her belt, she was stood on what appeared to be the bow of a ship with one hand raised in the direction of something out of the picture. Jaime knew that he should have burnt the pieces when he had found them in Galladon's possession after he had taken his head off but something in him had stayed his hand. He had looked back to the letter and the note from Selwyn to his oldest son that the latest sighting of his daughter had been of her in the far off lands of Ulthos. He hadn't realised that Selwyn had been keeping track of his daughter but knew that he could not afford to allow the knowledge that one of the oldest and most powerful vampires that had ever existed was still alive to be revealed. 

The book had then also been placed in his vault, resting on the box of its owner. 

Jaime had allowed the thoughts of warrior vampires and golden swords to drift from his thoughts as his name day grew closer and the apparent excitement of the clan became quite contagious. On the evening of the celebration Jaime had been readying himself for the upcoming celebration when his phone had rung. Despite being one of many hunters who actually owned a mobile phone Jaime was so unused to it ringing that the sound caused him to drop his cuff-links. Swiping them off the floor with his left hand he place them on the bathroom counter and reached to pick up his phone before it rang off. 

"Yes"

"We have a problem" 

Jaime sighed, the ever dramatic tones of his second in command Addam draining what little excitement he had left for the evening. 

"It is only a problem if there is no solution Addam - be more specific" 

"Bronn's unit never returned from Storms End and we have not been able to make contact with them" 

"When were they due back in ?" Jaime asked, already feeling the mask of Divine Hunter slipping into place.

"Two days ago - we allowed for some delay as there have been terrible storms rolling in from the Narrow Sea and it has been causing havoc"

"Deploy Dickon's unit - they are to find Bronn's unit and make contact - I will arrange for shelter at the Stranger's Temple centre if they need it before they head back"

"Anything else ?" Addam asked, his fingers flying across the keyboard of his computer as he put in orders to be sent out. 

"No one else is to know - it is probably the weather causing them delay or Bronn has got himself arrested again, which if that is the case I will kill himself - I want this evening's celebration to go ahead"

"Understood"

Jaime put the phone down once Addam had ended the call and pushed his hair away from his eyes, his gut screaming at him.

This is bad.


	2. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They would all fear her.
> 
> They would all learn the truth of the power of the vampires.
> 
> She swears it on the Stranger.

She had felt it - somewhere deep in her bones she had felt the connection to her father be torn in two. 

On the deck of her ship, The Oathkeeper, anchor dropped in a small port known early to herself and her crew she had taken a moment to breath. She could not remember the last time she had had the time to relax, the last 1200 years being nothing but one quest after another. She knew that leaving her father to follow rumours of dragons and their riders had been desperate but in that moment when her father had informed her of the message passed down through the lands of Westeros that she knew had to go. If there was any chance of Visenya being alive then she would take it and bring her queen home. She had packed her sword and accepted the dragons her father had put in her hand and flung herself out the door, her curse gifting her with speed unimaginable to humans. She had made her way to the nearest port and boarded a ship that would start her journey north. 

It had taken 6 months. 6 months of ships and carts and finally a 5 day horse ride into the mountains of the north, an area known to some as the Wall due to the vast spread of the mountains cutting the north country in half. When her horse had finally died Brienne had gone on on foot, never more glad for the fact that she was not affected by the cold. She had eventually reached a plateau in the mountains, a vast space completely at odds with its surroundings, and the truth of the rumours. She could not say who was more shocked in the moment she had approached the hooded figure stood tending to a fire, the undead warrior or the now old princess who had killed her. There were no words said between Brienne and Illaria in that moment - just a pregnant pause in which both women had taken stock of the other. 

"I killed you" 

"Yes"

"Yet here you are"

Brienne had smirked at the comment, her right hand smoothly unsheathing her sword, the golden handle glinting off the winter sun.

"I will not die quickly" Illaria breathed, her delicate hands gently pushing her hood back to reveal the same black hair that had blessed her mothers head. She closed her eyes for a moment and Brienne felt the the beat of wings before she heard them, the deep red dragon that Visenya had ridden in that fateful battle landing with a thud behind its princess, followed by her brother. 

"Before I kill you and your pets I would beg one question" 

"I will answer only one"

"Did you kill her?" Illaria shook her head at the question, her eyes gleaming. 

"She died of her wounds, Draemon carried her here and I followed with Vaemor and burned her body - it was what she would have wanted" Illaria explained. Brienne said nothing, her sword hand steady as she took a step closer to her murderer. 

"I understand what my mother saw in you - but I refuse to acknowledge it - the power that she gifted you was rightfully mine and I will take it back" 

"You know nothing Illaria Velyreos" 

What followed could not believed by anyone other than those present. The princess and warrior went to battle over the honour of a long dead queen. Brienne's golden sword sparking every time it bounced off the princess's shorter blade. Both weapons were made of a long lost metal, Valeryian steel, which could no longer be forged due to the deaths of all the grandmaester smiths. The metal was so light and so sharp that only the most legendary of fighters could wield such a weapon. 

Brienne kept each swing precise and swift. She knew that if she gave an inch it would be her head that rolled across the snow that day. The princess was a warrior in her own right and met each blow with one of her own, the dragons that had once been a symbol of Brienne's loyalty waiting and watching. In a flurry of strikes each woman pushed against the other until a a moment of luck befell the princess and her blade slipped through meeting flesh. The cry that escaped the warrior's lips at the contact was not one of pain but of anger and with blood that was too dark to be natural flowing from the open wound that now marred her face from cheek to jaw Brienne flung herself forward, using her body to push the length of her sword into the princesses chest. 

Allowing herself to fall alongside the princess, she sank to her knees, her hands slipping off the pommel of her sword as it fell with the princess, blood now running the length of the blade. It took her a moment to see the blade pressed into her own chest, the handle of the dagger protruding from a gap in her armour. She laughed, one hand coming up to wrap around the handle, the other pressing against the wound as she pulled it out. 

"I ... told ... you ... I wouldn't ...die ... easily" each word came out with a gasp, every breath a mission for dying woman. 

"You ... will ... die ... with ... me ... here" 

Brienne dragged herself to her feet, her hands now pulling off pieces of her armour leaving her in her tunic and pants before she swung her cloak back over her shoulders, the Tarth stars ever present. She pulled her sword free from Illaria's chest and wiped the blade clean with the corner of her cloak. With a snap she sheathed it back at her hip and placed the small dagger in her belt alongside it. 

"You were never deserving of your mother's gifts, she had always known that, it was the reason she bestowed them upon me" Brienne explained as she moved to kneel beside the dying woman. She lifted the edge of her tunic and raised it until they could both see the now healing wound that should have killed her. 

"What ... are ... you?" Illaria gasped, blood bubbling at the corners of her mouth. 

"Something more" the tunic dropped back down.

"Your mother granted me the wyvern's power years before you attempted to murder me, it gave me the strength to survive until I was rescued - by a vampire no less" she scoffed at the thought. It hadn't taken long after being turned by Selwyn for it to become apparent that her gifts where far superior to those of her maker. They had eventually come to an understanding that it was the combination of both curses - part dragon and part vampire - that defined her uniqueness. 

"It is not known if a mortal weapon could kill me - your dragons maybe - but they can sense the gift and will never raise a claw against me"

"You ... will ... never ... be ... worthy ... of ... my ... dragons" Illaria could do nothing but choke on the blood being forced out of her lungs. She could feel the Stranger reaching out to her, the predicted darkness slipping into the edges of her vision. 

"I do not intend to be worthy of them - I intend to kill them - the reign of dragons is over" Brienne raised her head until she could see both dragons, one red and one green. She closed her eyes and brought up a single image - one of fire and with that both beasts burst into flame - a dark green flame that was almost black at the centre. Neither beast moved a muscle nor breathed a sound as the flames slowly stripped away their flesh. 

Brienne watched as the once mighty dragons slowly crumbled into dust, the wild fire disappearing with a blink. She turned back to look at the no longer beautiful princess, her hair knotted around her head soaked in blood, her skin a deathly white and blood pooling from her mouth, no longer just a bubble. She watched the despair settle in her eyes, the realisation of what was happening sink in as her breaths grew shallower with each second. 

Wrapping her arms the woman's shoulders she brought her chest off the ground until they were almost face to face. She allowed a breath to leave her lungs before she opened her mouth, the fangs that had appeared not long after her change resting on her lower lip. 

"I could give you my gift - I've met many who have begged for it - a last chance at life" she whispered, her pupils darkening in her startlingly blue eyes until they were almost completely black.

"But you do not deserve it, nor have you earnt it princess - for some might call it a curse, the devils kiss, the dark dream but I know it for what it is - a gift, true power - one which you will never see" and as Illaria drew her last breath Brienne sank her fangs into her neck, still warm blood filling her mouth. She drank from her until there was not a drop left and dropped the empty body with a thud as she rose to her feet. She could feel the blood sing inside her, the dragon princess the last of a long line of ancient warrior women, similar enough to her own family line though with more dragons. It was said that the Velyreos line had once been born of dragons, that it was this gift that allowed them to ride the winged beasts and that with each new generation of dragon rider the gift could be passed on once - normally to their offspring. 

She could fill the two beasts within her sing to each other, one cast in fire with a roar she could feel in every bone and the other cast in shadow which radiated strength. She had never felt such power before and knew in that moment that there was none else like her. Brienne listened to the whispers of both gifts and in a moment could feel every nuance of her powers. She could sense every gift and knew that there was no being alive that would be a match for her. In the next moment she rose from the ground, her arms raised beside her and cloak billowing in the breeze, the image striking and only marred by the fact that there was no one there to witness it.

She took in the sight before her, blood soaked snow and the crumbling remains of now extinct beasts drifting off with the breeze. 

"The reign of dragons is over"

"Long live the vampire"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Now stood atop her ship, the evidence of her power all around her. That was until the moment she felt her father die, the pain of his death tearing through her body, forcing her to her knees. She knew that the death of a higher vampire was felt by those sired from it and that it would also be the death of most lower vampires. She knew that the combination of both her gifts was the only thing keeping her alive. She felt the arrival of her first officer, a vampire from Essos named Davos Seaworth who along with his white beard and soft gaze was the perfect counter part to her cold, hard stare. 

"M'lady" he approached slowly, one eye on her and the other watching for the rest of the crew who had stopped to watch their leader crumble to the deck. Once he was within reaching distance he wrapped his fingers around her chin and raised her head as her body shook with what he could only imagine was pain. The eyes that stared back at him where not ones he was familiar with. The normally striking violet irises were completely black, the rest of her eyes blood red - something he had only seen after an extreme feed which she had not partaken in for several years.

"What has happened m'lady - your eyes ?" 

Brienne couldn't breathe - her chest wrapped in what felt like a steel cage, her ribs crushing the air out of her lungs. She reached her hands up until they had Davos face between them and she brought him down to her level. It felt like hours she stared into his eyes but in reality it could only have been seconds. Davos went to speak but stopped when he felt her hands squeeze, his eyes watching her as she finally found the breath to speak, the words grave and laced in something he had never heard from her before. 

"My father is dead - we will sail back to Tarth"

He could do nothing but catch her strong frame as her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limp into his arms. 

"Podrick, get your arse here now boy" Davos bellowed, his eyes back to scanning the crew who all moved towards their captain on her collapse. Within moments a young man came pelting round the corner and skidded to a stop beside the pair. 

"Grab her legs Pod - we need to get her to her cabin" 

Between the two of them they managed to hoist her body, Davos with her torso in his arms, her head lolling against his chest and Pod with his arms wrapped around her legs and once they had her secure they made for her cabin, never more grateful for the fact that she had taken a top deck space so that she could see the sea at all times. With a nod from Davos a red bearded man stepped up onto the deck where they had been moments ago and started to give orders, the crew moving back to their positions, preparations being made to set the battleship back into motion. 

"We sail to Tarth Tormound - and quickly" he called out as they disappeared through a door knowing he could trust the big human to take control. He had joined their crew knowing full well what they were but none the less devoted to Brienne. 

Pod kicked the door to the cabin shut behind him and within moments they had laid out on her bed, her body completley limp. Both men stood there for a moment, neither wanting to look away from the unconscious woman in case she worsened. 

"Is she alright - I have never seen her like this before" Pod whispered, not wanting to disturb her. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim room - not quite as bright or luminescent as his sire, but then Brienne's eyes could glow even in the darkest of rooms if she wanted them to. He grabbed a blanket out of the linen box at the end of her bed and gently placed it over her body, his love for her clear in the way he looked at her but Davos knew it was because Brienne had raised the boy before she turned him - she was the only mother figure he had ever had. 

"Something has happened to Selwyn - her father - she felt it as if it had happened to her" the older man explained, fingers rubbing through his white beard. He wrapped his hand around Pods arm and pulled him out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind them. 

"Go check in with Tormound, help get us on way - gods know its been a while since the Oathkeeper was last given a proper run" Davos sighed as he watched the young man move towards the only human on board the battleship and rested his arms against the railing overlooking the loading bay. 

This was not going to end well. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For reasons unknown to Davos and Pod, Brienne did not wake from her slumber for near on 3 months, the prolonged sleep causing the pair to worry but they knew they needed to keep their heading - If they were lucky they would make it to the Stormlands and the Isle of Tarth Brienne had once called home before she awoke. The Oathkeeper had done its job and well, the ship being a prize from a warlord that Brienne had put into power. The Dothraki were simple people with a simple lifestyle and had seen no better reward than a battle ship they were never going to sail.

Brienne had taken to the seas like everything else she had done in her long life - to watch her cross the deck would make it look like she had been born on the ocean, her stride never wavering and her absolute faith in her crew mirrored by nothing. She had welcomed all vampires into her family - those chased out of their homes or betrayed by their own covens as well as the lucky few whom she sired herself. For these reasons the crew of the Oathkeeper worked around the clock to make the journey to Tarth as smoothly as possible - the already stronger and faster crew an advantage but there had always been something about a crew that never questioned orders and followed their leader into battle with absolute faith that seemed to fit.

Davos felt he had aged a hundred years in the few months they spent sailing the seas - despite that fact that he had not aged a day since his turning. He could see in the distance the green isles of his captains home and knew he should see if she was close to waking. However he had no need as the moment he turned around from his spot on the top deck he found himself face to face with Brienne, her eyes back to their normal sapphire blue. He could still see the darkness in her eyes however as her gaze shifted to islands in the distance.

"How long was I asleep for?" it was a quiet question.

"98 harvest days have passed since we left Ulthos m'lady - we have gone through 3 moon cycles - I was just about to wake you" he explained as she moved to stand next to him.

"We could not wake you - Pod has convinced himself you were never going to wake again stupid boy"

She smiled just for a moment, the look unnatural on her face, her plain features more suited to her familiar frown as she thought of the only child she would ever have. She had not been home since she left all that time ago - after killing Illaria she had stayed in the north for a few hundred years before she moved off the continent - the need to explore overwhelming. She had eventually found Davos and they had started to build their family, Pod joining them as a boy after Brienne rescued him from an unstable vampire coven - she had behead each and every out of control monster and had almost left if it had not been for the quiet cries of the young boy. She had brought him back and raised him as her own, turning him once he was of age to decide for himself.

"We will be there soon - I will not wait for you all - I will go straight to Evanstar Hall and find my father - You and Pod will take the others clear the island before you join me" she looked to Davos for his agreement and nodded before he moved away to begin preparations for their approach. 

It took several more hours before she could clearly see Tarth, it's rolling green hills as lush as ever - however what drew her attention was the distinct lack of castle that had once resided on the Isle. All that remained appeared to be a small construct on the land where Evanstar Hall should have been. Brienne moved to her cabin where she put on her body armour, the lightweight material something they had come across whilst travelling through Essos many moons ago - she had found a tailor who could craft the material into a suit for her, a design that reminded her of her dragon armour, the blue colour so dark it could have almost been black. She then picked up her sword , the same gold pommel, the same nicks from fighting a long dead dragon princess and strapped it to her belt , the weight reassuring. No matter the that it was not as quick at the automatic weapons that had become popular in the last 100 years nor as terrifying as the explosives favoured by some of her crew - she had refused anything else, her sword one of the few connections to her previous life she had left as well as the knowledge that she was most likely the most talented sword fighter alive - 1200 years of practice will do that to a person.

"Meet me on the cliff" she called as she left her cabin, a sight that stopped several of her men in their tracks. Her normally braided white hair loose behind her back contrasting with her almost black outfit, her sword gleaming on her hip. Davos watched as she launched herself off the side of the ship, her ability to fly one of his biggest envies. He followed her for as long as he could before he lost her in the clouds as she approached the cliff and refocused on his crew - bellowing orders as they made ready to drop the anchor and those not involved collected their gear. 

Once the ship had made port the vampire crew made its way onto land and took in the carnage that they had missed on arrival. The port was in ruins and not a soul in sight. They had all heard the stories of Tarth from their captain over the many long years they had served under her. When she had left it had been a prosperous land, vampires from all regions settling under Selwyn's rule and keeping out of the humans lives. The further inland they moved the worse it got, bodies began to appear on roads and paths, some hung from trees in the fields and others lined up on stakes - everybody headless. Davos ordered the small army to ready their weapons as they continued to move towards the cliffs - it perfectly clear to everyone what had happened here. There was no discussion that every poor soul on this island had been slaughtered by vampire hunters - there were few others brave enough to move against a coven of this size and strength. 

They were within spitting distance of should have been Evanstar Hall when they her roar. Ahead of them was a small series of buildings, built into the ruins of the old castle and in front of them was Brienne on her knees in front of a stake positioned clearly as a warning. They could all see that the body on the stake had also been beheaded.

Davos moved slowly forward, wary of the noises coming from his friend. She was rocking on her knees, her hands clutching at her hair as she continued to roar - the sound almost other worldly - the ground shaking around them, bricks and dust falling from the surrounding ruins. 

"Brienne" 

Davos stopped moving when her rocking halted, her hands falling to her lap. They stayed like that for a few moments, no one moving, a few even refusing to breath. 

"The coven ...?" The sentence so quite he could only make out a few words. 

"Dead m'lady - we passed a number of villages and there is no soul alive" he explained, still not moving any further, something about her suddenly calm demeanour more unnerving than the screaming. 

"Vampire hunters"

"Yes m'lady" 

"Burn them all - we cannot allow them to rest like this - they will be given a funeral that even the Warrior would be envious - bring all the bodies to the square and build a pyre" she instructed. As she spoke she rose from the ground at which point Davos could see the piece of fabric clutched in her left hand, her right falling to the pommel of her sword as it was used to doing.

"What is that in your hand m'lady ?"

"He must have ripped it from them when they beheaded him - off a uniform of some kind" she turned and faced him, hand holding out the fabric to him, her face expressionless, her wide lips pressed tightly together. Davos beckoned Pod forward who reached out to take the torn fabric - as the most educated of the two Davos often used Pod for his intelligence. 

"It House Lannister - the house of the legendary vampire hunter Tayse Lannister, the hunter who slew the Martell coven 300 years ago" Pod explained as he handed the fabric back, the golden lion clearly visible on the deep red fabric despite the blood stains. 

"It is said that Tayse was from a set of twins, both of whom inherited their hunter abilities - and that each generation after them had produced a hunter who had become a Divine Hunter for their clan - they reside in Kings Landing under the banner of the Golden Lion"

Brienne watched Pod as he continued to explain the history of the clan who had destroyed her home. She didn't feel her hand tighten on her sword nor did she feel the wind lift at her hair as it started to pick up. She did however notice Davos pull Pod away from her slightly. 

"I managed to do some more up to date research on Westerosi hunter clans the last time we made port - if it is still correct then the Divine Hunter of the Golden Lions as it stands is Jaime Lannister, son of previous Divine Hunter Joanna Lannister and her husband Tywin - he had held the seat for near on 20 years now". 

"They will all die - there is no honour in a slaughter like this" she muttered, no longer caring who heard her words. She had stopped paying attention to them and had turned away, her eyes flashing. She felt herself rise above the ruins, Davos and Pod only able to watch as she rises, dark clouds forming around her as the wind picked up.

"I will slaughter every last one of them - and when I find the hunter responsible for taking my fathers head I will take great joy in watching wild fire strip the flesh from their bones" she proclaimed, her words a clap of thunder that made each and every vampire below her shiver. All they could was watch as the storm overhead continued to build, torrential rain drenching the vampires, winds strong enough to lift the roofs off of some of the surrounding buildings and thunder that caused the very ground to rumble. 

Brienne tipped her head to the sky, the rain lashing at her face, the flashes of lighting emphasising her glowing eyes and the stark whiteness of the scar on her cheek. She took a deep breath, no longer able to think straight as all she could see was her fathers headless body and with a snarl she clapped her hands, the sound echoing off the cliffs, causing the ruins to further crumble around them as they watched the storm spread and make it's way towards Storms End. 

"Let the Stranger tell them I am coming - For death is all that awaits them"


	3. Opposing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would happen when the immovable hunter would be met by the unstoppable vampire?

Jaime hated parties. 

The forced smiles and false compliments wore his nerves quickly - his ever faithful patience fading quickly. 

The knowledge that something was going very wrong outside of Kings Landing had his fingers twitching as he made his rounds of the celebration held in the ballroom of Casterly Hall. The proud building had been home to the Lannisters for many generations and to the Golden Lion Clan even longer. Finding a break in the well wishes he slipped out of the hall, his feet carrying him to his office. He let the door swing shut behind him and rubbed his hand over his face, his shoulders finally loosening after hours of being wound tighter than a maestors robes. His right hand - a beautifully carved piece of wierwood that had been gifted to him after his battle with Selwyn - hung loosely at his side as he moved to sit behind his desk. 

Shutting his eyes he leant his head against the high leather back of his seat. He thought about picking up his phone to see if Addam had contacted him with any updates on his missing team but the thought of moving his limbs was too exhausting to even consider. He knew that what ever news he received would be bad - Bronn had been one of Jaime's oldest friends and also one of his most talented hunters, the man having almost as many kills as Jaime. The facts stood that there had been no contact from his team since they had arrived in the Stormlands with the intention of moving onto Tarth to clean up behind his niece. They had missed all their check in's and none of the local crews had been able to locate them, Jaime having checked in with Varys his communication man. 

He could feel the weight of their deaths on his chest - not needing to be told the fate of his hunters - and sank further into his chair. He stayed like that - his head lolling against his chest as tiredness finally over took him - until the gentle swish of his floor length curtains drew his attention. He opened his eyes, the bright green dull with exhaustion spotting the cause, a window propped open at the other end of his office. He sighed again - an act that he was finding far too recurrent lately - and pushed himself out of his seat. Jaime took a deep breath as he approached the open window, the sea breeze one of the main attractions of having a home on the coast, and pulled it closed, latching it shut tightly before he turned away. 

The silence that took over the room in that moment was so heavy Jaime could feel it pushing down on his shoulders. Unable to hear the crackling of his fire, the faint thudding of the celebration going on down the hall, the ticking of his grandfather clock, he froze. Knowing that one wrong move could be the end, he raised his hands slowly until all of a sudden the lights in the ceiling shattered, glass falling past his head, his hands now coming up to protect his head. When the last of the glass had settled on the floor, he turned around, the only light in the room from what was left of his fire not nearly enough to light the while space. Glowing eyes watched him from the shadows by his desk, the position making it clear that whoever it was was now sat in his seat. 

"I don't know what I was expecting - but to be honest it was defintley more than you" spoke the eyes, the voice clearly female despite the low and gravely pitch, the kind of voice every man hopes to hear in his bedroom. 

"When I was being told the stories about the mighty golden lion Jaime Lannister I pictured someone ... taller" the voice went on. 

"And I can't say how disappointed I was when all I found was an old, weary, one handed hunter - his best days clearly behind him" 

Jaime bristled at the comments, the accuracy of the words not lost on him. 

"If your going to insult me in my own office, you could at least do me the honour of telling me who the hell you are" he ground out, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck already leading him to guess as to the identity of his mysterious visitor. He took several steps forward before his feet refused to move any more, his body frozen in what could only be described as an iron grip. A pale hand appeared from the shadow , a strong hand that did not match it's owners voice and a finger flexed. He felt himself lift , his feet dragging on the shattered glass underneath him until he was several inches off the ground. 

"And what do you know of honour Jaime Lannister - the hunter of innocents" this time the words were harder, anger and rage easily readable. Shadows rearranged themselves as the figure stood from the chair, his eyes widening as his captor stood straight, their height putting him to shame. He struggled to take a breath as the figure rounded the desk and out of the shadows came a body so strong he could feel the power in the legs and arms wrapped in dark material, his eyes immediately drawn to the sword hanging off the figures hip. He felt the grip on his body tighten as more and more of the figure revealed it's self.

The breath that he had been holding released itself as his captor finally stepped into the light completley, her white hair a stark contrast to her dark surroundings and her violet eyes still seemingly glowing. With the image now complete along with the fact that he could only look her in the eyes due to him floating several inches off the ground he couldn't help the words that escaped him. 

"Dragon slayer" 

"That is one of the many titles I have answered to in my life" the words dripping with something he couldn't quite make out. 

"Dragon Slayer"

"Oathmaker"

"Daemon Warrior"

"Hand of the Queen"

"Maid of the Dead"

"Daughter of Tarth"

"But I have always preferred Brienne" his eyes could not open any further as the reality of his situation finally sank in. He had know in the moment his niece had brought him Selwyn's head that they would all pay for the act - but he foolishly hadn't been prepared for the arrival of Selwyn's true heir, the undead warrior that was Brienne of Tarth. He should have know that she would come for them, with the knowledge that she was still alive being his for several years now, he should have prepared his clan but he had failed. 

"Tell me Jaime of House Lannister, Divine Hunter of the Golden Lion clan and Vanquisher of Vampires - what did they call you when you slaughtered my people and murdered my father" she asked, her gaze unwavering. He gasped as he hit the floor, what ever had been holding him gone.

"What title did they praise you with after you murdered every soul on Tarth" 

She took another step forward, one hand resting on the pommel of her sword, the very sword that she had slain Illaria with, the other clutching what appeared to be a torn piece of red fabric. Jaime pushed himself to his feet, doing his best to appear imposing as he stretched to his full 6"2, despite the fact that he still had to tilt his head up to look her in the eye. 

"I didn't kill your father" 

Brienne's gaze hardened, her shoulders tightening as she stepped even closer. Jaime couldn't help the flinch as Brienne slapped the piece of fabric against his chest, the force pushing him back several steps. When he straightened up again he looked at the offensive item, the now obvious dried blood stain flaking onto his hand as he spread it out, the dark stain not enough to hide the now obvious golden stitching in the shape of his family crest, the posed lion a familiar site. 

"You lie to me at not just your peril vampire hunter - I will slaughter every being in this building"

"I did not lie, I had nothing to do with the death of your people - the small council ruled in favour of the execution and a team was dispatched - they could not see the possible consequences of their actions"

"But you did"

Jaime nodded, the fabric falling to the floor as he stepped towards the taller woman. 

"I am the only hunter aware of you existence - your history turned into story hundreds of years ago and the council were not aware that they would bring the wrath of a legend down onto the clan" 

"You did not warn them"

"I had hoped they would fail"

"You had such little faith in your hunters - why allow them to go ?"

"Because I had hoped you were far enough away to never find out - because I had hoped that with your fathers death it would bring around yours as well"

"I felt his death" the words no more than a whisper but still somehow loud enough to make his ears ring. 

"I felt the moment life left his body - the anguish in his soul as he watched your hunters murder our people - I could feel it in every bone in my body" 

Jaime couldn't tear his gaze from hers as she spoke, the rage radiating from her eyes mesmerising, almost as if she wouldn't let him look away. 

"I felt the darkness in my body - and it should have killed me, would have if not for the wyvern blood that also resides within me. You didn't know that did you, I can promise you there is no record of my gift from Visenya, may the gods watch over her, no stories about the two beasts that battle within me, one of fire and the other of darkness - I live thanks to them, their power is my power" Brienne unsheathed her sword, her right hand tight on the grip as she closed the distance between them again, stopping only when he couldn't press himself any closer to the door. 

"Under vampire law I would be well within my rights to slaughter your entire clan - an eye for an eye - well within my right to make it so you have to feel the same anguish that I do. My son thinks I should just kill you - hang your body up as an example - he knows what you are to your people and the impact it would have" Brienne watched as his eyes narrowed at her words. 

"I will not let you hurt my people - you will not punish them all for the act of a few"

"Let not one person be responsible for their own actions, let all people be responsible for each other - lest they forget what a family is" 

"Do not quote the gods to me - I am aware of the Mothers readings"

Brienne closed the final inches between them, her left hand pressed into the door beside his head and her right pressing her sword into the wood, the metal shining in the light from the fire. She lowered her head until her cheek brushed his, the brush of his beard rough on her skin and she took a deep breath, his scent filling her airways. Jaime closed his eyes, the presence of her surrounding him. He didn't move a muscle, the mere notion of moving lost in a wave of thoughts and emotions as he tipped his head back, for some unknown reason allowing her easier access. 

"It has been so long since I last fed on a hunter, long enough that I think I may have forgotten what you all taste like" the words followed by her tongue tracing the length of his neck. His body shook at the contact- this encounter not at all going as he had expected. 

"Would you tell me the name of my fathers murderer - I would accept that as reparation" 

She nuzzled closer, the scent of his blood intoxicating in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. She could hear his heart beating in chest, could feel every beat as he struggled to put words together. Not wanting to give him the room to breathe she licked his neck again, moving her tongue from his ear down the length of his neck until she all she could taste was him. She let her fangs brush against the tender spot underneath his ear, the spot where the beat of his heat was the strongest, his shiver only encouraging her. 

"You will have to kill me" The words eventually making their way out of his mouth, his entire body shaking as she continued to nip at his neck. 

"But if you were not involved in my fathers death then you have not earnt the privilege of dying at my blade - I have some honour left within me" Brienne lifted her head, wanting to see his eyes. She was fascinated by the colour, the green so clear they could be mistaken for those belonging to a vampire if it wasn't for the colour. 

"I can taste the fear on your skin - does you clan know that their precious Divine Hunter can be turned into a quivering wreck by the presence of one woman" 

"You are not a normal woman"

"And there are no men like you ..." whatever words she had meant to follow with were lost in a gasp as Jamie managed to jam his dagger into her chest, having finally managing to free it from the back of his belt. The blade a present from his mother on the day of his ascension to Divine Hunter, the blade forged from valeryian steel much like the sword in her hand. Two sets of eyes lowered to look at the offensive object, one green and one violet. For a moment Jaime thought he had managed to get the upper hand before what he thought was shock in her eyes was quickly replaced with a darkness that seemed to swallow all light. In horror he watched as she used her left hand to pull the blade out of her chest, the length of it glistening with black blood. 

He looked back up at her face, finally taking every detail in just as he felt his life flash before his eyes. Her eyes flecked with sapphire shards that he could only see now that they were mere inches apart, the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the jagged scar running the length of her cheek, the healed tissue a faint silver colour. Her features whilst all stunning individually looked out of place on her face, her jaw strong and defined and her high brow more suited to a man. But despite this he was beginning to feel that he couldn't look at her enough. That was until she looked up, her left hand dropping the dagger onto the floor at her feet and sinking into the hair at the back of his head. 

"Someone else once tried to stab with me with an ancient blade - they were not able to kill me either - but I acknowledge your courage in trying, there are not many who would have dared" Brienne could feel the wound healing already and smiled a sharp smile, her fangs catching the light of the fireplace. 

"You will tell me the name of the hunter who killed my father - I will have their head and then I will leave - and you will tell me even if you don't want to"

"There is no power you could posses that would force me to betray my people"

"I could impale you on my sword - you would blab the name as you bled to death"

"I will do anything for my family and my clan - kill me if you must" 

"Where is the fun in that ?"

Brienne didn't waste a moment in sinking her fangs into his neck, his blood thick and warm as she drank from him. Jaime could feel the pressure at his neck, but felt no desire to move almost as if his body wanted this. He closed his eyes and did nothing when his left hand wrapped itself in her hair, almost holding her to him as she took her fill. They stood like that for several moment, golden hunter pressed against the door and other worldly warrior pressed into him as much as was possible - like a painting fit for the walls of his home, epic and horrible at the same time. 

Neither moved until something banged at the door, the door they were both pressed into. 

"Uncle are you in there?"

Myrcella's voice called through the wood, the concern obvious. 

Brienne lifted her head, her lips dark with his blood, a drop falling down her chin as she smiled. 

"You have a niece - Is she a hunter as well ?"

The panic in his eyes was all the answer she required. 

"Uncle Jaime open the door"

Jaime finally realising that Brienne had let go of him pushed against the solid body in front of him and forced her away from him. Not expecting the contact Brienne took a step back, giving Jaime the opportunity to fling the door open, his left hand sweeping the dagger of the floor as he did. 

"What is going ..." Myrcella's words faded out as she took in the sight before her. Her uncle leaning against the now open door breathing heavily, a dagger in his left hand and blood oozing from his neck and the imposing figure of Brienne a few steps behind him, golden sword still in her right hand and mouth dripping with Jaime's blood whilst the tear in her tunic showing a freshly healed wound. 

"Myrcella ... run" Jaime gasped, knowing he had to act quickly. 

"Is that ... Is that her ?" the young woman whispered, frozen to the spot as she locked gazes with the white haired woman behind her uncle. 

"Your her ... the warrior from my uncles stories" 

Brienne laughed at the notion, that her life had been turned into stories for children. 

"I am Brienne of Tarth, daughter of Selwyn, first of his name" 

Myrcella felt the breath leave her body as she took the sight of her in. Brienne every bit the warrior as she had been described by Jamie - only those words no longer seemed at all accurate enough. 

"Your Selwyn's daug..."

"You knew my father ?" Brienne cut Myrcella off at the mention of her father, her words sharp. 

"I ..." Myrcella knew in that moment that she needed to run, that she would not be able to hold in the knowledge that she had been the one to take Selwyn's head. She felt an impulse to blurt the truth out - as if her body wanted to confess and was shocked when she saw how brightly Brienne's eyes were glowing.

"You what little lion ?"

Jaime could no longer stop at the point and reached out to push his niece away even as Brienne started to move, the sword in her hand rising as if she already knew the truth. 

"I ..."

"It was you" the words sliced through the air, each of them freezing, Myrcella with her hand reaching for her pistol strapped to her thigh, Jaime still reaching for his niece with horror in his eyes and Brienne raising her sword towards the young woman. It was as if someone had paused time, the three of them motionless and the only noise the crackling of the fire and then they all moved at once. Jaime finally reaching his niece even as she pulled her pistol free of its holster and pushed her away from the door just as Brienne made to lunge towards her, fire in her eyes. 

"RUN"


End file.
